This is the ninth post in an ongoing series as we file Sunshine requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG & MB
A scoreboard here and a scoreboard there, and pretty soon, you’re talking about serious scoreboard.
One of the rumors we heard about criticism of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky was that he was being really mean to intercollegiate athletics because he wouldn’t release money they were entitled to from the vendor agreement with a cola company. I know, I know, we never get out of junior high school.
So, back to the vendor agreement, we decided to ask. On October 19th we submitted the following as a Missouri Sunshine law request:
[….]date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Subject: Request for information under RSMo 610This email serves as notice that I am asking for the following under RSMo 610, i.e. the Sunshine Law, the following :
[….]2. The University vendor agreement with Coca Cola put in place approximately two years ago.
Any requests for athletic funds generated from the Coca Cola agreement by the UCM Athletic Director
Thank You [….]
Sent: Wed, October 21, 2009 2:28:56 PM
Subject: Re: Request for information under RSMo 610[….]
Pursuant to your request of October 19, 2009, I am attaching [….]a copy of UCM’s contract with Coca Cola. [….]In regard to your request for “Any request for athletic funds generated from the Coca Cola agreement…,” UCM’s Athletics does not receive any funds generated from the Coca Cola contract.
Sincerely [….]
Okay, on first read it looks like we sort of blew that question, but when you read the contract, we really didn’t. We didn’t particularly ask if they received funds generated by the contract, we asked if they requested funds generated by the contract.
Looking at Section 5.3 of the 2006 contract, we note that the Foundation got a chunk of change earmarked for scoreboard(s). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe theatre productions use a scoreboard.
“…UCM’s Athletics does not receive any funds generated from the Coca Cola contract…”
Another point about this allocation to the Foundation. The University President doesn’t control the Foundation. If somebody didn’t get their scoreboard money their beef should be with the Foundation, not the University president.
There’s another interesting clause in Section 14.9:
Translation: Mean people suck. If you’re mean, that’s not going be a good thing for the continuation of this contract.
Do you think that the University of Central Missouri will be contemplating a clause like that in future radio contracts?
Our previous coverage:
Three steps behind, and to the right (January 25, 2008)
Three steps behind, and to the right, part 2 – a microcosm of our universe (September 21, 2009)
“A Gentleman’s Agreement”? (October 15, 2009) (transcript of a portion of the live radio broadcast)
It wasn’t just about a tree (October 21, 2009)
“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: I heard it on the radio (October 21, 2009)
“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: let’s not get cut out of the will (October 22, 2009)
“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: $87.75 will get you one sheet of paper (October 23, 2009)
“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: They’re not playing hardball, they’re playing cat and mouse (October 23, 2009)